Gramercy Shines as Cinderella of Sundance

If past Sundance Film Festivals are remembered for launching individual careers, this one may become equally well known for helping to launch an entire company.

Gramercy Pictures has emerged as a Cinderella of Sundance, thanks to two high-profile films. “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” an offbeat comedy starring Andie MacDowell, got the prized opening-night slot. And “Backbeat,” which traces the formative years of the Beatles, is so much in demand that the festival has scheduled a rare extra screening.

With both movies opening in the spring, the independent marketing and distribution company hopes the positive buzz from Sundance will translate into financial success. “You never know which movies are going to click, but festivals can be pretty good gauges,” said Russell Schwartz, Gramercy’s president.

Eighteen-month-old Gramercy, a joint venture of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures, is still looking for its first breakaway hit in the specialized film market. Last year’s “Posse” did modestly well, taking in $18 million at domestic box offices. But “King of the Hill,” “A Dangerous Woman” and “Dazed and Confused” got cool receptions.

People who follow the rough-and-tumble world of independent film distribution see better potential in this year’s 13-picture slate from Gramercy, which also includes the controversial comedy-thriller “Romeo Is Bleeding.”

Gramercy celebrated its Sundance success Sunday with a dinner at Adolph’s, one of the most exotic restaurants in this snow-ringed ski resort--with entree offerings such as pheasant, bison, venison and medallion of elk.

On hand was Michael Kuhn, president of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, as well as executives from other PolyGram film labels and the producers of “Backbeat”--the same team responsible for last year’s surprise hit “The Crying Game.”

In a show of support, London-based PolyGram Chairman Alain Levy even dropped in on the festival after taking the Concorde to New York.

Kuhn said PolyGram is optimistic that its investment in Gramercy will begin to pay off this year. “It’s hard to judge a company based on so few movies,” Kuhn said, “but they’ve certainly got some good stuff in the can.”

Schwartz avoided making any predictions. He said the past year taught him a lot about the vagaries of the business. In the case of “Dazed and Confused,” a look at the drug-hazy lives of high school students in the 1970s, Schwartz said he learned that young people no longer necessarily respond to antiheroes.

One marketing ploy aimed at the young, however, has the industry buzzing: a decision to recruit members of cutting-edge bands such as Nirvana, Soul Asylum, R.E.M. and Afghan Wigs for the “Backbeat” soundtrack, under the direction of music producer Don Was.

“We’re still honing the process,” Schwartz said, “but we’ve learned a lot.”

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Fears that last week’s earthquake might cut into business at the festival appear to be unfounded. While many Hollywood deal makers won’t arrive until the second half of the 10-day event, business is already well under way.

Sony Pictures Classics got things rolling Friday, the second day of the festival, when it acquired domestic and other rights to “Martha and Ethel.” Marcie Bloom, co-president of the company, said she first heard about director Jyl Johnstone’s look at former nannies while it was being processed at the lab.

She attended the first screening Friday morning, before her partners arrived, and made the deal later in the day--before she had even picked up her festival credentials. “It’s just terrific!” Bloom said of the movie. “It’s really a sly social commentary on the family. Once people start talking about the movie, the rest will take care of itself.”

Samuel Goldwyn Co. followed on Saturday by acquiring worldwide rights to “Go Fish,” an inside view of lesbian life shot in black and white by director Rose Troche. Goldwyn’s Tom Rothman said the company moved quickly to preempt other bids.

“It’s the old expression, ‘You snooze, you lose,’ ” said Rothman, who had to fly back to Los Angeles when aftershocks threatened his home. “This gives us the entire festival to publicize the movie.”

Rothman called “Go Fish” one of the liveliest pictures at the festival. He said it also poses “an exciting marketing challenge.”

The buying continued Monday, as I.R.S. picked up the rights to the Canadian film “I Love a Man in Uniform.”

Many films have come to the festival with distributors attached, but deal makers are still hunting for fresh directing and writing talent.

Said one: “They like to play up the artsy aspects of the festival, but what everyone is looking for is people with commercial potential.”

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Sundance also acknowledged technology’s growing influence on film, with a seminar on Sunday called “Interactivity and Cinema.”

Panelists Joe Miller, head of production for Sega America, noted that the domestic video game business last year caught up to the domestic box office business, with about $5 billion in revenue.

At the same time, Miller extended an olive branch to the entertainment community by saying the video game industry desperately needs Hollywood’s storytelling skills.

That brought an icy response from producer Sean Daniel. He said advancing technologies threaten to make second-class citizens of conventional filmmakers.

“The rebels of the future are going to be those struggling to make linear movies--that’s going to be the fringe,” Daniel said.

Referring to all the options offered by interactive technology, Daniel added, “I don’t want an interactive ‘Grand Illusion’ or ‘Godfather.’ ”